


London Alleys

by Bookworm1063



Series: CO Countdown 2020 [10]
Category: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell
Genre: Carry On Countdown (Simon Snow), Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:00:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27882653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bookworm1063/pseuds/Bookworm1063
Summary: He’s saying something, but I’m not really listening. There’s something else here with us.I’ve been following Simon from the roofs he’s passed, so I see the shadow on the ground as it darts into the alley and disappears.I pull a seraph blade from my belt. Before I can name it, I’m airborne.A Shadowhunters AU, in which Simon sneaks out of the Institute to meet up with his secret vampire boyfriend, Penny follows him, and chaos ensues.
Relationships: Penelope Bunce & Simon Snow, Tyrannus Basilton "Baz" Pitch/Simon Snow
Series: CO Countdown 2020 [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2026988
Comments: 6
Kudos: 39
Collections: Carry On Countdown 2020





	London Alleys

**Penny**

Simon’s been sneaking out. 

He does that a lot, actually. He thinks I don’t know about it, but I’m his _parabatai_ —he couldn’t keep a secret from me if he tried.

I haven’t told anyone that Simon’s leaving the Institute on his own, but I am planning to follow him. Our rooms are right next to each other. It wouldn’t be that difficult to slip out after him.

I’m sitting next to my window now, in full gear. There’s a light on in Simon’s room, but he’s still in there. I think. I haven’t heard anyone pass by outside my door, anyway.

Out on the roof, a shadow appears as Simon slides his window open.

**Simon**

I know the roof of the London Institute like the back of my hand. Slipping across it is easy. In a few minutes, I’m on the ground. 

I pull my stele from my belt, push my gear jacket out of the way, and draw a Soundless rune on my upper arm. Then I take off into the city.

I don’t run into anything on my way—no demons, and only one Downworlder, a werewolf who ignores me as I move past. A few times, I think I hear someone behind me, and I turn, but there’s nothing. Just the shadows.

Still. There’s this _feeling_ I can’t shake. Someone’s definitely out there.

I stop in an alley, still a few blocks from the pub I’ve been heading to. Whoever—or whatever—this is, I need to deal with it now.

“I know you’re there,” I say, without turning around.

Then the pain hits.

**Penelope**

I watch Simon as he steps into an alley ahead, past a mound of garbage bags that have been tossed out the side door of a bar. I think he knows I’m here. Maybe not me, specifically, but he knows someone’s following him.

He’s saying something, but I’m not really listening. There’s something else here with us.

I’ve been following Simon from the roofs he’s passed, so I see the shadow on the ground as it darts into the alley and disappears.

I pull a seraph blade from my belt. Before I can name it, I’m airborne.

**Simon**

Something falls to the ground behind me, and I spin around, pulling a sword from its sheath on my back. Someone in black gear picks themselves up from the pile of garbage bags. I can still feel the ache of impact along my ribs, which means—

It’s Penelope. She staggers to her feet, clutching her side.

“Penny!” I race toward her just as another shadow leaps down from the roof.

Penny rolls away. Already, there’s a throwing knife in her hand. The shadow dodges the blade easily, sliding out of the way with the kind of grace I’ve only ever seen one person use, and that’s when I know.

I’m such a fucking moron.

“Stop!” I move towards them, as if there’s anything I can do. They’re lunging for each other now, Penny with another knife. I just catch the glint of fangs before they both disappear into the shadows at the edge of the alley.

They’re going to kill each other if I don’t do something.

**Baz**

I don’t know who this girl is, but she’s been following one of us. Me or Simon. I’m not sure.

I first noticed her almost ten minutes ago, on my way to our usual pub to meet Simon. She was moving across the rooftops along the same street he was on, dressed in Shadowhunter gear. It could have been a coincidence—she could have been just another Shadowhunter on patrol.

I was keeping an eye on Simon on his way to the pub, which is why I noticed she never left him alone, not even when Simon ducked into this alley. Then she pulled out a seraph blade. Simon didn’t know she was there. I panicked, and pushed her off the roof.

I know Simon is behind me somewhere, but I’m focused on the other Shadowhunter. She backs away from me, her hand going to her belt. A throwing knife just misses my left ear. Another one hits the cobblestones at my feet, and a third actually manages to slice through the sleeve of my jacket, leaving a small tear in the fabric.

How many knives does she have?

I lunge forward again, and we both fall into the garbage bags. The Shadowhunter gets away first, and Simon lunges between us.

“Stop!” he shouts. “Stop it!”

**Simon**

Baz shoves Penny into the trash bags again, and when Penny scrambles away from him, I see my chance. I dive in between them.

Both Baz and Penny look shocked and confused. It would be funny under different circumstances.

“Simon?” Penny asks. “What are you doing? That vampire tried to kill me.”

Baz rolls his eyes. “You were following us. And you pulled a seraph blade—”

“Because someone was following _me!_ Who are you, anyway? What do you want with us?”

“Stop,” I say again. “I think there’s been a misunderstanding.” I turn to Penny. “Why did you follow me?”

“Why did I follow you?” she repeats. “By the Angel, Simon. You’ve been sneaking out of the Institute every night for weeks, at least! You’re my _parabatai_. It’s my job to make sure you haven’t gotten yourself into something stupid, and then to help you get out of it.”

“Wait,” Baz says. “This is Penelope?”

I nod, and Baz starts laughing. 

Penny and I both stare at him as he double over, clutching his rib cage, wheezing. I have to admit, it _is_ pretty funny, but I don’t think I have it in me to laugh right now.

“Wow,” Baz gasps, shaking his head. “This is extremely awkward.”

He’s right about that, too.

“Sorry,” Penny says. “I’m not caught up. What is going on here?”

“So, Penny,” I say. Baz stops laughing and starts moving away from Penny, toward me. “Remember that conversation we had last month, when the Wellbeloves visited? And you asked why I’d stopped pining over Agatha all the sudden?”

Penny nods. “And then you refused to say whether or not it was because you were seeing— _oh.”_

Baz has moved around Penelope to stand next to me. I take his hand and wait for Penelope’s response.

**Penelope**

And here I thought Simon had a secret Mundane girlfriend. Turns out, he has a secret vampire boyfriend.

“Okay,” I say.

Simon blinks at me. “Really? That’s it?”

“What else did you want me to say?”

“I dunno,” Simon said. “I kind of thought you’d do a whole speech about why this is a stupid idea, and we’d fight about it for a week and then you’d come around. Or something.”

“I was planning the speech for later,” I say. “There’s going to be a fucking PowerPoint presentation on why this is the worst idea you’ve ever had, which I already know you will not listen to, and then I’ll have to learn to tolerate this vampire I just almost killed.”

“I have a name, you know,” the vampire says.

“That’s nice.”

“Penny,” Simon says. “Baz. Both of you.” He sighs and shove his hand through his hair. “Look, Pen, Baz and I were going up to this Downworlder pub. I guess you can come, if you want.”

I know immediately that neither of them really wants me there. I’d be crashing their date night.

“Have fun, boys,” I say. “But not too much fun. Simon, try to get back before Mum realizes you snuck out. Vampire…” I look Baz up and down. I still haven’t forgiven him for shoving me off the roof, but I guess I’d have done the same thing. And while I don’t really want to let Simon go off on his own, I know he can handle one vampire. “Anything happens to him, I’ll kill you. They’ll never find your body.”

“Because they won’t be looking,” Baz says. “Already dead, remember?”

“You are not,” Simon mutters.

I climb up the drainpipe of the bar next door and onto the roof, and stay long enough to watch the boys leave the alley. 

**Baz**

Simon and I hold hands the rest of the way to the pub. Inside, the bartender sees us and brings us our usual (water and a scone for Simon, deer blood for me).

“Thanks for not killing my _parabatai,_ ” Simon says as we sit down.

“Are you going to thank her for not killing me later?”

“Probably.” Simon takes a bite of his scone, and I wait for him to finish chewing. “Seriously, though,” he continues. “I get that that was a shitshow, but I’m glad you met her.”

“Me too,” I say. “She’s… interesting. We could be friends if she ever decides she doesn’t want me dead again.”

“I’ll work on that.” Simon leans across the table to kiss me.


End file.
